Thumbs Up
Mancera is Pierre Montale’s collection geared to Western tastes while his original namesake collection is centered more on authentic Middle-Eastern fare, but I still get a lot exotica in every one I try, particularly with the strong authentic rose note found in most of these I’ve tried so far. Mancera So Blue (2015) is an oud-less rose fragrance from the house, listed as unisex from most sites which catalog it, but oddly listed as feminine on others (like Basenotes). Regardless of who is meant to wear So Blue, it’s thoroughly unisex to my nose, as a super-aquatic with a fruity citric aldehydic top, a lovely dry Bulgarian rose middle supplemented by a slight salty marine note, and a base of musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, and amber. The structure is very Creed-like, which may automatically scream “blasphemy” for worshippers of that house, but there are differences, namely in that trademark house musk which Pierre Montale seemingly stuffs into all his creations, and in this case, the marine “blue” theme which also carries over to Aoud Blue Notes (2015) of the same year, a theme Creed has never fully done outside maybe Creed Virgin Island Water (2007). Aquatic fans might not get over the strong rose here, and folks who hate the aquatic vibe might also choose to stay clear, but this interesting ” fruity rose aquatic musk” might be just the wild card a more open-minded perfumista or colognoisseur is craving. Mancera So Blue opens with bergamot, lemon, mandarin, so much citrus! It’s a very bright and sweet “blue” introduction with a fruity blackcurrant note to darken So Blue just enough that it doesn’t feel ozonic like Wild Rose Aoud (2014) from the year before. The Bulgarian rose comes in pretty quickly and soon dominates the composition’s next 30 minutes or so, with a salty marine aromachemical coming in alongside to re-assert the theme. We stay in “aquatic rose” mode for about an hour until base notes of creamy sandalwood and patchouli appear, with a slight resemblance to the modern designer “fruitchouli” feminine perfumes that might make this feel more for a woman to staunchly-masculine tastes, but if you stay with it, that changes. The final dry down of So Blue leaves a citrus and rose marine glow on top of sandalwood, faint oakmoss, patchouli, and the trademark Montale/Mancera musk, with the patchouli fading into the background as an olfactory binder of the other notes. Honestly, Mancera oud is always very dry and medicinal anyway, so I don’t really miss it here, and So Blue is just fine without it. Sillage is moderate but staying power is monstrous here, so a little goes a long way with So Blue, and base just becomes ever more prevalent as it goes, which is quite lovely for those with patience. If I had any personal gripe with So Blue, it’s that it sprays on deceptively quite then grows louder thanks to the fruit drying into the rose/marine tandem, which is much stronger than the top by orders of magnitude. Mancera So Blue is no different from other Mancera creations in overall vibe, with bright nose-burning top notes, a strong rose and/or citrus, plus a dry medicinal oud and/or sandalwood/amber base with a musk throughout you either love or hate. I didn’t get a lot of that notorious “Mancera Musk” other reviewers cite in Wild Rose Aoud, but I definitely get it here, and it’s a sharp kind of musk, like a Calvin Klein laundry musk dimed on the amplifier, but it doesn’t bother me, so I guess the rest of this house output will agree with me too. My biggest concern is the slight “fruitchouli” vibe that occurs during the dry down, as a lot of old heads hate that vibe, while a lot of really uppity niche-o-philes might see it as cheap, but again, not a deal breaker to me because it adds some genderbending quirkiness that fits the rest of this odd composition. As usual, Mancera is at the more reasonable end of the niche spectrum borderlining on designer price points, with lots of discounter sales around, making them a friendly entry point to the world of niche, with a quality of performance that definitely yields bang for buck. Another winner in my book, best for casual day wear in temperate environments, with thumbs way up! It’s so blue!!! Cue all the Elvis, Patsy Cline, and LeAnne Rimes references in 3..2..1.. go go go! Seriously though, this stuff will put a smile on your face long before it makes you sad.
Hoặc